"Open it," said Tommy, endeavouring to loose the hinge of the case
with his tiny thumb-nail.

"Oh, no; you mustn't open it, Tommy."

"Open it!" resumed Tommy, in a higher and more positive tone.

"I can't open it," said the mother, pretending to make an earnest
effort to loose the case.

"_O-pen--it!_" screamed the child, in a loud angry tone.

"Here, take it to Mr. Pelby, he will open it for you." And the watch
was again intrusted to Tommy's care, who bore it, and, as fortune
would have it, safely too, to its owner.

Of course, Mr. Pelby could do no better, and so he displayed the
jewels and internal arrangement of his skeleton lever to the curious
gaze of the child. At first, Tommy was well pleased to look alone:
but soon the ends of his fingers itched to touch, and touch he did,
quite promptly; and, of course, Mr. Pelby very naturally drew back
the hand that held the watch; and just as naturally did Tommy
suddenly extend his and grasp the receding prize. With some
difficulty, Mr. Pelby succeeded in disengaging the fingers of the
child, and then hastily closing the watch, he slipped it into his
pocket.

"There, it's gone!" said he.